Means for marking out lawn-tennis courts and other areas for the playing of games and for other similar purposes



' 4 I Fel 8,1927. J SNYMAN 617183 MEANS FOR MARKING OUT LAWN TENNIS COURTS AND cmmn AREAS FOR THE PLAYING OF GAMES, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES Filed Aug. s, 1923 Patented Feb. 8 1927.

i i-airs STATES 'FEC.

TET

MEANS non MARKING'OUT AWMTENNIS oouErs'AND OTHER AEEAsEoR THE'PLAY- me or GAMES AND Eon OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES;.

Application filed August 3, 19223. eerie-rm 655,516..

' This invention relates to a means, appa ratusor device primarily deslgned for marking out lawn tennis courts, and hasfor its object to construct an apparatus by means of which a straight and clearly defined line can be made or formed.

The apparatus can also'be advantageously utilized for making lines in areas intended for the playing of other for other similar purpose a Apparatus according to .this invention.

comprises a wheeled structure or framework carrying a receptacle for the whitening material or liquid which is to be employed for making thelines, a part or distributor for the whitening, material which is provided with one or more rows ofsuitable small holes or passages, a part or parts providing a passage or conduit from the receptacle to said distributor,-and,means for opening and closing said passage to control the flow of the marking. fluid from said receptacle f to said perforated part or distributor. The perforated part ordistributor is arranged and supported in suitable close proximity to the ground with the perforationspreferably directed rearwardly or towards the back of the apparatus. 7 V

'l" he controlling means preferably includes a rubber or other suitable piece of resilient piping which interposed in or forms por-- tion of the passage along which the marking 1 fluid flows from the receptacle to the perforated part or distributor, withmeansfor collapsing or pinching a portion of said rubber or resilient pipe, in order to close the passage-so that when the rubber pipe 15 allowedto expand, it produces or tends to produce such an effect as to cause the liquid to leave the distributor with'greater force or witha spurt, and so precludes the possibility of thew j'ets merging or joining and so forming'an uneven or irregular line.

The receptacle will be' provided with an inlet, preferably fitted with a funnel and strainer, and an arrangement for stirring the whitening or other marking liquid in the'rece'p'tacle. V I, 7

y The wheeled vehicle may be provided centrally at the front with a pointer or indi cator which will serve as a guide for the operator to facilitate his following any line or mark. r 7

A tap may be provided in, the passage leading from the receptacle to the distribugames, as well as.

tor, for the purpose of shutting off the supply of the marl'ringrliquidwhen the appa ratusis not in use. i

In the embodimentof the invention shown by way of example in'the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l-is .a side part-sectional elevation of i the apparatus. Fig. 2' is a fronteleva-tion of: Fig. 1. I Fig. 3 1s anenlarged sectional detail, the sectionv being taken on line 3*? of Fig. 1, and, a

,l igs. 4 and 5 tionala side elevati ns, respectively, of the distributor. j

Constructed as shown in the drawings, the apparatus comprises a wheeled structure including the two vertical tubular side frames 9 are the front wheels and .10 the rear -wheels which are fixed on axles 11, 12, re-' spectively. "The axles "runin the tubular bearings 13, 14 which are fixed in and are carried by the wooden blocks 15,16, fixed to the bottom horizontal'tubular members of eachofthe side frames l, 2.

17 is the pointer or indicator which .is-

are rear elevation and. secfixed to a cross pi'e'ce 18 attached to' the" i frontflblocks 15, The pointer 17 is placed centrally at the front of the wheeled structure in line with the centre ofl thejdistributor -7. 5 p p The receptacle 8 for the mixture of whitening and water or other marking liq in halves and connected together by meansof a band 24,-by soldering onotherwise; Al-

thoughI prefer to make the receptacle of spherical shape it is obviousthatit may be made of cylindrical or any other suitable, shape. The receptacle 8 is postioned inter- 'mediate the side frames 1,2, and supportedthereby and suitable fixed'thereto.

l9 is'a removable filling funnel for the receptacle 8-and 2Q a straine'rlinto which the uid is shown of spherical shape constructed 5100 7 and a piece of rubber or other suitable lower portion of the funnel 19 fits, the strainer being arranged in a branch 21 of the receptacle 8. I

22 represents a pair of semi-c1rculararins or paddles fixed on a spindle 23 which is rotatably supported in the band or ring 24,

and 25 is a handle for rotating said spindle able resilient tubing 29 fixed at its upper end to the lower end of pipe 26, and at its lower end to the upperend of the stem or tubular projection 30 of the distributor flexible tubing 31 which connects the upper end of the rigid pipe 26 with one side of the tap 31*, which latter is fixed to the bottom 'of the receptacle 8.,

The means for collapsing or pinching portion of the rubber tubing 29 includes abridle or U-shaped piece 32-see Fig. 3wh1ch is adapted to work in a transverse horizontal groove 33 formed in the upright 6 across the groove 2?, so as to engage with the portion of the tube 29 lying in said transverse groove 33. The bridle 32 is pivotally attached by means of a bracket or yoke 34 to one arm of a lever 35, 36 being the pivot for the lever 35, which pivot is carried by the arm 37 fixed to one of the side uprights 3. The other arm of the lever has pivotally attached to it a link 38 which link, at its other end, is attached to a bell-crank lever pivoted to the side upright 3. The other arm of the lever 39 is adapted. to be actuated by the rod or cord 40 attached to it,'fro1n a handle or lever ll pivoted atone end to the handle 1 and also supportedby an e ye-piece43 fixed in the upper end of one-of'the members of the side frame 1. is a spring fixed at one end to one end of the link 38 andv at. the other end to the horizontal tubular member of the side frame 1, which spring serves, whenthe hm dle a1 is, released, to remove the pressure I from "the collapsible tube 29 and allow the I 'The disti'ibutQIf'? is shown in the form marking liquid to flow freely down the pass sage from the receptacle 8 to the distributor 7. Y

of a short cylinder closed at the ends and formed near the bottom and at the back with one row of rearwardly directed apertures or holes :5 through which the marking liquid passes on to the ground, as indicated at 46 in Fig. 1. The Outside sur-. face of the distributorv'f, at the orifice of the holes, is preferably formed with a flat, as indicated at 47, so as to allow the fluid to flow freely from the holes and preclude the uniting of the jets; I 1

In putting the device into operatlon, the marking liquid 1s introduced into the. re-

ceptacle 8 through the funnel and strainen The tap 31 is now opened to allow the liquid to flow by gravity down, the passage and fill the distributor 7.- The tube 29 is now collapsed by operating the handle 41 and the device is-brought into position for use, the pressure on the collapsible tube 29 being now removed by releasing the handle ell. This allows of a strong initial flow and a continuous supply of the marking liquid to the distributor- 7, which liquid flows through the apertures orperforations 4:5 in the form of a number of separate and distinct ets on to the ground or lawn. The

device is simultaneously pushed forward, the

indicator 1? eing used to guide the vehicle in the desired direction'along the line or mark. 1 I

If the device has been allowed to stand then the liquid contained in the receptacle 8 will be stirred by rotating the arms 22 before the tap 31 is opened.

VVhatl claim as my invention and de-.. i.

si e to protect by Letters Patentis A device of the nature indicated, comprising a wheeled structure, a receptacle for the marking liquid carried by said structure,

a distributor for the marking liquid arranged in close proximity to the ground and having a plurality of outlet apertures from which the marking liquid issues and is (16-. livered directly on to the ground in the form of a plurality of separate jets, parts,

includin a resilient tube, providing a pas- JOHANNES JACOBUS sNYfMAN. 

